No bail for Krull murder suspect

 One of the three men accused of killing East Coast farmer Shaun Krull was denied bail in the East London magistrate’s court on Monday.

Xhanti Ndingane, 29, wearing a brown hooded jacket, sighed before returning to the holding cells as magistrate Linda Magaxeni made her ruling.

He hardly looked at his family, who were in the public gallery.

Ndingane’s co-accused, Vizicelo Wokisi, 26, and Zolisa Losi, 23, have already abandoned their bail applications.

Krull, 48, was stabbed to death on Mitchell’s Bon Farm in Kwelera on September 19.

Swift action by police with the co-operation of villagers in Middledrift netted the three suspects within days.

During testimony last week, investigating officer Sergeant Phutumile Kwenene said he had taken a statement from Ndingane’s mother and she would be called as a state witness.

When the Daily Dispatch asked Legal Aid defence attorney Mawethu Facu for the mother’s name, he said she was not “comfortable with having her name in the media” despite testifying in open court.

But in something of a surprise move on Monday, his mother asked to take the stand.

“Sgt Kwenene took me as a witness who would testify against my own child. But the reason I am here today is to come and support my child,” she said.

Prosecutor Unathi Mlungu asked why she had not raised this point on the day Kwenene gave his testimony. The mother answered she did not know the procedures of the court.

She said she did not have a problem that her original statement would be used in court, but took exception to Kwenene saying that her son would threaten her and her family should he be released on bail.

Magaxeni said while she appreciated Ndingane had two young children and he was the breadwinner for one of them, that alone was not enough reason to grant him bail.

Last week, Ndingane told the court that his role had been to drive the cattle farmer’s bakkie away from the scene.

He also admitted he was present when Krull was stabbed. The case was postponed to October 25 for further investigation.

 johnh@dispatch.co.za